Accepting the role of technology in our lives | Akarsh Verma | TEDxYouth@BIS

Summary

Akos Verma's presentation highlights the pervasive influence of social media on daily life, particularly among younger generations, and contrasts it with the limited engagement of those over 60, where only 20% use platforms like Facebook. Verma emphasizes the widening communication gap due to technology's rapid advancement, leaving the elderly behind. He refutes the stereotype that seniors are disinterested in learning technology, sharing personal anecdotes of teaching elderly individuals to use iPads and smartphones. Verma's grandmother's transformation from no technology to active social media user illustrates the potential for seniors to adapt. He concludes by encouraging the audience to help bridge the gap by teaching older family members to engage with technology.

Takeaways

• 📱 The speaker humorously notes that checking phones is a common first activity in the morning, followed closely by other daily routines.
• 👴 There's a significant generational gap in social media usage, with only 20% of people over 60 using it compared to 60% of those aged 20-29.
• 🚀 Technology, particularly social media, evolves rapidly, potentially leaving the elderly behind and creating a communication gap.
• 🌐 Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have become powerful tools for communication and even organizing large-scale events like the Egyptian protests.
• 👵 The elderly are often stereotyped as uninterested in learning new technologies, which the speaker refutes with personal anecdotes.
• 👴 The speaker shares an experience working at an old age home where residents were eager to learn about technology but lacked opportunities.
• 📚 The speaker's grandmother, initially with no technology experience, quickly adapted to using a basic phone and later a smartphone, demonstrating willingness to learn.
• 👶 The speaker encourages the audience to teach their older relatives about technology, emphasizing it's not difficult and can be a rewarding experience.
• 🌟 The presentation ends with applause, indicating the audience's positive reception of the speaker's message about bridging the digital divide.

Q & A

What is the main topic of Akar Verma's presentation?

Akar Verma's presentation focuses on the impact of social media and technology on different generations, specifically highlighting the communication gap between younger people who use social media extensively and older individuals who are less familiar with it.

How does Akar Verma describe the typical morning routine for many people in relation to technology?

He explains that for many people, the first thing they do in the morning is check their phone, followed by tasks like brushing teeth and eating breakfast while still engaging with their phone or thinking about it.

What does Akar Verma say about the use of social media among people over 60?

He notes that only 20% of people over 60 use social media, which contributes to a growing communication gap between generations.

What comparison does Verma make between technology usage 10 years ago and today?

He mentions that 10 years ago, communication platforms like AOL Messenger and Gmail chat were primarily used for chatting, whereas today, platforms like Facebook and Twitter offer more diverse features, such as event organizing and sharing life updates.

How does Verma highlight the power of social media in organizing significant events?

He references the Egyptian protests, explaining that the main platform for organizing these mass protests was Facebook, showing how social media can mobilize large-scale movements.

What is the stigma around older people and technology that Verma addresses?

He discusses the stereotype that older people are unwilling to learn about technology, which he argues is false, sharing examples of how the elderly are open to learning when given the opportunity.

What personal experience does Verma share about teaching older people technology?

He shares his experience working in an old age home where he taught elderly individuals how to use iPads, and he also mentions teaching his grandmother how to use a phone, who eventually became an active user of Facebook.

How does Verma’s grandmother's experience with technology change over time?

Initially unfamiliar with any technology, Verma’s grandmother quickly learned how to use a basic Nokia phone, and later, she became adept at using a smartphone and started sending Facebook messages and posting status updates.

What does Akar Verma encourage the audience to do at the end of his presentation?

He urges the audience to teach their grandparents or parents how to use phones and social media, emphasizing that it is an enjoyable and beneficial experience.

What point does Verma make about volunteer activities in old age homes?

He mentions that while many volunteers visit old age homes to entertain the elderly with music or readings, few take the time to teach them about technology, which is something that could be more valuable and impactful for them.

Outlines

00:00

📱 The Impact of Social Media on Generational Communication

Akar Verma discusses the pervasive influence of smartphones and social media in our daily lives, highlighting the stark contrast in usage between younger and older generations. He points out that only 20% of people over 60 use social media, compared to 60% of those aged 20 to 29. This disparity leads to a widening communication gap as technology advances. Verma reminisces about older communication platforms like AOL Messenger and Gmail chat, which have evolved into more complex social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. He emphasizes the power of these platforms, citing the organization of the Egyptian protest on Facebook as an example. Verma dispels the myth that the elderly are unwilling to learn about technology, sharing personal experiences of teaching elderly individuals to use iPads and smartphones. He concludes by encouraging the audience to teach their grandparents and parents about technology, as it can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Keywords

💡Social Media

Social media refers to platforms like Facebook and Twitter, where users can communicate, share content, and interact. In the video, social media is portrayed as an integral part of modern life, especially for younger generations, with platforms like Facebook being used to organize protests or share personal updates. It highlights a generational divide in its adoption.

💡Communication Gap

This refers to the disconnect between different age groups, particularly in their use of technology. In the video, the speaker mentions that younger people use social media more than older adults, which creates a 'communication gap' as older generations struggle to keep up with rapid technological advancements.

💡Technology Boom

The technology boom is the rapid advancement and widespread adoption of digital tools and platforms, like smartphones and social media. The speaker discusses how this boom has left some elderly people behind, emphasizing the need for them to be taught how to use these new technologies to bridge the communication gap.

💡Elderly and Technology

This concept highlights the relationship between older adults and modern technology. The speaker discusses the misconception that older people do not want to learn how to use technology, using personal anecdotes about teaching his grandmother and others in a retirement home how to use phones and social media.

💡Generational Divide

A generational divide refers to the differences in behaviors, attitudes, and technology use between older and younger generations. In the video, this divide is reflected in the statistics showing younger people’s high engagement with social media compared to older adults, and the speaker advocates for bridging this divide.

💡Teaching Technology

Teaching technology refers to the process of helping others, particularly older generations, learn how to use digital devices and platforms. The speaker encourages the audience to teach their older family members how to use smartphones and social media, sharing success stories of his own experiences with the elderly.

💡Smartphones

Smartphones are mobile devices that allow users to access the internet, social media, and a wide range of apps. The speaker discusses how smartphones have become central to daily routines for younger generations, while older adults may still be learning to use even basic mobile phones.

💡Facebook

Facebook is a social networking platform where users can connect with friends, share updates, and organize events. The speaker highlights Facebook's influence, from its role in organizing major events like the Egyptian protests to helping people stay in touch with family, illustrating its power as a communication tool.

💡AOL Messenger and Gmail Chat

These early online messaging services allowed users to communicate in real-time. The speaker refers to them to illustrate how communication technology has evolved over the years, from simple text-based chats to complex social media platforms that allow users to share their lives and organize events.

💡Digital Literacy

Digital literacy refers to the skills needed to use modern technology effectively. The speaker's experiences teaching older adults how to use smartphones and social media emphasize the importance of digital literacy for everyone, especially as society becomes more reliant on technology for communication and information sharing.

Highlights

Phones and social media have become integrated into daily life, especially for younger generations.

People over 60 have lower social media usage, with only 20% using it compared to 60% of those between ages 20 and 29.

A communication gap between generations is growing as technology advances faster than older adults can adapt.

Social media has evolved from simple chat platforms to complex tools for family updates and event organization.

Social media platforms like Facebook were central to organizing significant movements, such as the Egyptian protests.

There is a stigma that older adults are uninterested in learning about technology, but this is often false.

The speaker's experience working at an old age home showed that many elderly individuals are eager to learn how to use new technologies.

One resident expressed frustration that volunteers often focused on entertainment rather than teaching technology skills.

The speaker’s personal experience teaching their grandmother how to use a phone demonstrates how quickly older adults can learn.

Initially, the speaker taught their grandmother to use a basic Nokia brick phone, which she found fascinating.

The next year, the speaker introduced their grandmother to a smartphone, and she now regularly uses Facebook.

The speaker encourages others to teach their older relatives how to use phones and social media.

Older adults may find great enjoyment and connection through technology once they learn how to use it.

The speaker notes the importance of bridging the communication gap between generations through technology education.

Teaching technology to older adults can be a rewarding experience for both the learner and the teacher.

Transcripts

our next speaker for tonight's event

will be akar Verma who will be giving a

presentation about the connection back

so everyone please welcome

[Applause]

akos let's be honest the first thing we

do when we wake up is look at our phone

the second thing I do is brush my teeth

while looking at my phone the third

thing I do eat breakfast while thinking

about my

phone phones and social media have

become such an integrated part of

society that it has taken over my

morning and the rest of the day however

this isn't the case for

everybody um people over the age of 60

only 20% of them use social media

whereas a large um 60% of people between

the age of 20 and 29 use uh social media

such as Facebook and this creates a huge

uh communication gap which only uh which

only widens as technology uh advances uh

faster than people can catch up of

course 10 years ago um when I didn't use

uh when I wasn't able to use social

media I assume some of you will remember

AOL Messenger and Gmail chat where uh

you could you could chat uh with

people you could chat with people that

was the only only function that was

there and now it's evolved into Facebook

walls where uh you can figure out about

your family's life and uh that your

sister gave birth hopefully not the

first time you're hearing that and uh

and and you can go on Twitter and uh and

read your Twitter feed and you know read

about Justin beaver's daily life and Kim

Kardashian's new dog or you know

whatever you want to whoever you want to

follow on Twitter um of course there's a

lot more important things on uh Facebook

and uh uh and Twitter uh the

capabilities of organizing huge events

such as the Egyptian um protest and what

you when you realize that the Egyptian

protest was um organized entirely over

Facebook this was thousands of people

that revolted against the government and

the main um main organization platform

for this was Facebook um so these social

medias have have evolved and have gained

a lot of power in in the in in this uh

technology boom uh booming age and

leaving out um the elderly has has

created a huge communication

gap and um there's this really terrible

stigma um going around nowadays that you

know the the elderly don't want to learn

that uh they would rather sit around and

and read their books or whatever people

think um but this is not the case so a

couple years ago when I was back in an

arbor um I used to work at UH an old age

uh home and I I used to teach people

people actually um how to use iPads um

the the elderly there and um one of the

guys Mr pels uh he he told me that

people would come they would play

classical music they would they would

come entertain with uh uh songs and and

read them books usually mostly for

volunteer hours but um they would uh do

this and but nobody would ever come and

teach them about technology and he found

it interesting because it's such a

fascinating thing you know um uh just

you can have a small phone and you can

access um such wide platforms such as uh

Facebook and it he told me that people

people would never think of this um

additionally uh my grandmother uh four

years ago had absolutely zero contact

with technology she's from a much more R

uh rural area uh of India and um I went

and I decided uh you know what I'm going

to teach you how to use a phone this

it's really important to use phones

nowadays and you know I gave her a FR

Nokia brick phone which is basically a

brick and um it has you know the 10

buttons nine of them are numbers one of

them is an okay button um and she was

utterly fascinated by the fact that you

could call relatives across the world

and keep in touch with them you know

while I was in Germany or at the time I

was in um an Arbor Michigan and she

quickly picked it up you know with

somebody with zero um zero knowledge of

Technology she she picked it up um very

quickly and um later on I came the next

year and I taught her how to use a

smartphone and now when I wake up the

first thing I see is her Facebook

messages and her status

updates so I I urge you guys to go out

and uh teach your grandparents or your

parents um how to use phones and uh

social media it's not that hard and it's

it's an enjoyable experience so please

go out there and uh and try it out thank

you

[Applause]